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D. FRANK DoDen, or LDWVILLE, NewYORK.v

Letters Patent No.`,79,214, dated June 23, 1868.

IMPROVED MAIL-BAG.

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Be it known that I, D; FRANK DODGE, otLowville, in the county of Lewis, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Bag or Pouch for the Transfer and Handling of Mail-Matter; and I do hereby declare that the following isafull, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation ofthe same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is `a perspective view ofthe bag as seen clgsed.

Figure 2 represents the frame and mouthfof the bag open. Figure 3 is a sectional-'view crosswise of the frame, 'and l Figure 4 isa view of the`lock-bolt, with the shield removed- Like ,letters designating like parts; y

' A B are al pair of heavysheet-metal onmalleablized-iron jaws, the ends of: which are turned 'at right angles p to the longitudinal section of' each plate, andare formed in such a manner, as shown fully inliig.-.3, that by uniting the two separate parte by the rivets() C,.thetw6 may" be partially rotated upon thesaid rivets as upon a hinge. I

Upon the upper or outer edge of thel jaw A there is a narrow flange, turned inward the whole' length of the plate at right angles to the vertical plane of lthe plate. This ange serves the double purpose of stiienng the jaw,'and when the jaws are closed, the ange shuts over the cdgeof the jaw B, making a close joint, and precludng the introduction of any instrument to pry the jaws apart.

D is a strong bolt, secured to the inside of B, one en d of which is formed into the loop d, and works through an opening in the ange,b, upon one end of the jaw B. Upon the body of the bolt proper are a couple o f tongues, e e, the form 'ofpjrhic'h is shownvfully ing. 4. This bolt has a stud upon its opposite side, which projects through a longitudinal'v opening in the plate B, and has a button, Gr, upon the outside, by which the bar f can bemoved endwise. This bolt is enclosed and firmly secured in its vplace by the semicircnl'ar shield E, one

end of which is secured a stud upon the plate while tlie'lopposite end is v'fastened by the screw S, which passes through the loop d on the bolt D. y y are a couple of vertical slots or openings on the circumferenceof the shield E, audarejopposite the tongues e e upon the bar D. On the inside of the'plateA, and directly oppol site thes'ev openings g g,"are rmly secured the projections ff, through which areI apertures ittin-g the tongues eA e, and through which the same passwhen the jaws are brought together, and the bar moved endwise by means of the button G. There is also an opening in the end ange, d,-of A, corresponding with a similar opening in b, through which the loop d projects. I y

The body of th=l bag I construct in a manner different from the mail-bag in general use, being of two side pieces, J J,`w`i.th a, third piece'or bolster-strip, H. firmly riveted or stitched around the twosides and one end oi' the pieces J J, and the three securely attached to the mouth-frame or jaws by the rivets z' t K L are loops; Vof leather or cloth, vby which thebagis handled in actual -service. i v i Having thus described the construction of my improved bag, before passing to describe its use, I wish td refer to the construction o f those now universally used by the mail department of .our Governmcntfthat my improvements may bevthc better understood. The ordinary bag, as usually constructed, consists of a'elngle piece, folded upon itself lengthwise, and the edges riveted or sewcd together, or of two side pieces', secured in the same manner at the sides and one end. -At/ the open end or mouth there is a row of metallic loops, secured to the inside, (which, when the bag is being filled, are in the.way,) and which, upon closing the bag, pass through a series of openings on the opposite side of4 the bag. After the baghas-bcen a short time iu use, these metallic loops become loose, and are with diiiculty passedthrough their respective openings,- causing vexatious delays;

To secure the contents ofthe bag, the postmaster hns to pass a strap, which is secured permanently at one end of the row of loops, through the entire series, and then around to`and overa stapleupon the opposite side of the series, where it is secured bythe usual padlock. .Bags thus constructed necessitate the use of a frame, puri posely constructed, to hold them'open in the `act of iilling,`or the attendance of a second person, to support the mouth of the bag while themailzuatter is being 'deposited -therein'. y All `these movements are matters of Considerable time-'often valuable time. InVeon-tradistinctioml now pass to the` Operation of my Improper! Bag. l

The bag and jaws being as shown in g. v2, the left hand grasps the handle K," (or it may be caught'upon a suitable hook, for that purpose provided, upon the edge of the mailingtable or bin, thus allowing the postmaster or clerk unrestricted liberty of both hands.) I The mail-matter is thrown readily into the mouth of the bag, which the jaws keep distended. When full, the/jaws A B are brought together, by which action the projections ff pass through the openings g g, in the 'shield E. The b ar D is then mored endwise by the button G, by which motion the tongues 'e e are passed through the openings in ff, while at the saure time the loop d is passed through both the anges, a and 6, thus firmly securing both jaws together, and, of course, the matter in the bag, the security being completed by passing thebar of a common-post-oilee padlock through' the prof trading loop d, and loc-king the sanne.-

The use of the bolster-stripH, in the vconstruction of my iinproved bag, while adding but a trifle to the extra cost of manufacture, .adds greatly to the capacity of the bag, -as will be readily admit-ted upon the most casual observatiomwhile the manner in which the labor of mailing matter is expedited will be at once manifested.

Having thusdescribed the construction and operation of my improved mail-bag, 'what I claim, and desire to secure tp myself by Letters Patent, is-

The censtruction of the mouth-frame A B, with its several parts, as herein constructedam set forth. D. FRANK Dones.

Witnesses:

W,7 W: DEWEY, J. CARROLL-HOUSE. 

